Automatic registering pouring device



1957 s. DI GRADO ET AL AUTOMATIC REGISTERING .POURING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1955 INVENTDRS. AbZl/(ZZd/ ZIP/W0 0 & BYEdward (DWI/Hype",

Fault PM ATTORNEYS.

957 s. DI GRADO EI'AL 2,808,179

AUTOMATIC REGISTERING gOURING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEYS.

2,808,179 AUTOMATIC REGISTERING POURING DEVICE Salvatore Di Grado andEdward J. McIntyre, Philadelphia, Pa;; Jean Di Grado, executrix of saidSalvatore Di Grado, deceased, assignors to Beverage Control SalesCompany of Philadelphia, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application January 5, 1955, Serial No. 480,050

9 Claims. (Cl. 222-38) This application is an improvement over ourco-pend ing application, Serial No. 408,346, filed February 5, 1954. Theinvention relates to a pouring device of the type used in taverns andtap rooms, to be attached to the openings of various types and sizes ofbeverage containing bottles. It will be understood, of course, that thedeviceis not restricted to such application as will be apparent from thedescription that follows. It is a primary object of this invention toprovide a fluid unit pouring device which can be easily aflixed to theopen neck of a fluid container which will under normal conditionsprovide an accurate and certain check upon the amount of fluid dispensedfrom the container and a concurrent registration of the number of fluidunits dispensed, the device being affixed to the container in such amanner that it may not be removed without the knowledge of the personwho has aflixed it thereto.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an automaticmeasuring pouring device having an internally contained counting unitwhich registers each time a unit of fluid is dispensed from thecontainer.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an attractive pouringdevice which permits the dispensation of a fixed amount of fluid from acontainer each time that a unit of fluid is poured.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a drink pouringdevice which may be aflixed to the opening of a container in such amanner that it cannot be secretly removed and replaced.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device which willenable a tavern owner to maintain an accurate inventory of his fluidstock contained in partially filled bottles.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description and from the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of a pouring device made in accordancewith the invention aflixed to the open neck of a bottle.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal cross section in upside down positionof a pouring device made in accordance with the invention shown ready tobe used.

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the pouring devicein the dispensing position in conjunc tion with a typical fluid unitglass.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section along the lines IVIV of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section along the lines VV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6' is a perspective exploded view of the inner mechanism of apouring device made according to the invention.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a special tube used in a pouring devicemade according to the invention.

Throughout, the respective positions of the various elements of theinvention along vertical lines will be based upon the position withrespect to the container. Thus the outer cap element is the one shown tobe Patented Oct. 1, 1957 ice outermost in Fig. 1, and the inner capelement is the one shown adjacent the container. The flow of fluid innormal use will be outward.

A drink pouring device made according to our invention comprises thefollowing elements which are shown in the drawings: a solid rod 33 beingscrew-threaded throughout most of its length (not completely shown) andbeing unthreaded near its ouer end; a fluted valve 35 internallythreaded mounted on the rod 33 near the outer end; a tubular gauge 36mounted on the rod 33 adjacent to valve 35; a threaded spacing nut 37internally threaded and affixed to the rod 33 adjacent the gauge 36; acoil spring 38 mounted on the rod 33 adjacent to nut 37; a hollow tube22 being open at either end and having on its surface a single opening,outer air vent 31 near the outer end and a plurality of openings 32 nearthe inner end, and having a pair of circumferentially spaced flanges 23aflixed to its middle portion; an inner tube 27 inserted in tube 22having an indented groove 28 disposed lengthwise partially throughoutits length; a tubular skirt 65 aflixed to the tube 22 near its outer endbelow the opening 31; an outer coil spring 26 disposed upon the tube 22adjacent the flanges 23; a hollow retaining member 40 inserted in theinner end of the tube 22 and aflixed-thereto by the lock nut 66; acounting mechanism 18 having an arm 51 with a pin 52 attached to the endthereof disposed to ride in the space between the flanges 23; an outercap element 11 being hemispherical and having an extended cylindricalportion 14 extending inwardly; an inner cap element 12 having anextended cylindrical portion 15 extending outwardly; a tubular, flexibleretaining collar 55 adapted to fit extended portion 14 and the neck 45of the container 46; washer 56 inserted in the collar 55; cord 58 loopedthrough an opening 57 in the collar 55 extended downwardly therefrom;tape 60 aflixed to the neck 45 of the container 46 over the cord 58.

The assembled pouring device 10 is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The outercap element 11 and the inner cap element 12 are joined together by thebolts 13 to form a sphere, having the extensions 14 and 15, andenclosing the working mechanism of the device. The interior surfaces ofthe extensions 14 and 15 are coaxial to form a cylindrical channel 19through the outer and inner cap element 11 and 12. Portions of the outerand inner cap elements 11 and 12 are cut away to form an opening 16through which the dial face 17 of the counting mechanism 18. appears.The counting mechanism is also supported by the shoulders 20 and 21formed internally of the outer and inner cap elementsll and 12. The tube22 is slidably disposed within the cylindrical channel 19 formed in theouter and inner cap elements 11 and 12. The flanges 23 aflixed to thetube 22 are disposed to travel between the shoulder 24 of the outer capelement and the shoulder 25 of the inner cap element. The outer coilspring 26exerts positive force in an outward direction against theflanges 23 maintaining the tube 22 in an extended position as shown inFig. 2. The tube 22 may be retracted by forcing it inward, thuscompressing the outer coilspring 26 against the shoulder 24. The insidetube 27 is provided with the longitudinal groove 28, the purpose ofwhich will befurther described' The inside tube 27 is inserted in thetube 22 and is retained in sealed relation thereto except for thelongitudinal groove 28. The tube 22 is provided with inner air vent 30near vits inner end, and outer air vent 31 nearits outer end which aredisposed to co-operate' with the channel formed by the longitudinalgroove 28. Additional fluid openings 32 are disopsed circumferentiallyabout the tube 22 atthe outer level of the inner air vent 30 along thetube 22.

The rod 33 is disposed through opening 34 in 'the tube 22 near its outerend. The fluted valve 35 is mounted 3 on the rod 33 by means of threadsdisposed along the rod 33. The gauge 36 rests upon the inner end of thefluted valve 35. The inner end of the gauge 36 is fixed by the threadednut, 37. vAdjacent the nut 37 the inner coil spring 38' extends to theretaining element 40 which has a central opening 41' through the yoke42' through which the rod 33 passes. The yoke; 42 retains the, inner endof the inner coil spring 38: The threaded nut 66 is aflixed to the tube22 by means of threads and holds the yoke 42- against the upper end ofthe coil spring 38 by meansof the shoulders 44: The inner coil spring 38thus exerts positive force against the rod 33 forcing it outward andforcing the fluted valve 35 against the opening 34. The fluted valve 35may be withdrawn from the opening-34 by forcing the rod 33- inwa-rd;thus compressing 't-heinner-coil spring 38 against the yoke 42.

A's-shown in Fig. 3, the pouring device, aflixed to the neck-45 of thecontaincn- 46, is-actuated by forcing the outer-endof the rod 33 againstthe bottom of a glass 47 thus displ'acingtheflutedvalve 35 from theopening 34 and compressing the inner coil= spring 38- against the yoke42, which, in turn, through the threaded nut 66 forces the tube 22-inward: In turn, the flanges 23 carried by the-=tube 22 compress theouter coil spring 26 until the flanges 23* meet the shoulder 25. In thisposition, the inner opening 30* co-operating with the outer opening 31by means 'ofthe longitudinal groove 28, permits the airto enter thecontainer 46, thereby permitting the flow of fluid from thecontainer 46through the openings 32 and-50 through the tube 22 and out through theopening 34 into the glass 47. Theflow of fluid from the container 46 -ispreventedby closing the openings 34 and 32 and the air vents 30'and 31'.Even thoughthe openings 34 and 32 are uncovered, the presence of themass of fluid in the container 46 efl'ectively blocks any flow. A vacuumis created in the container 46 above theliquid and until this isreleased the fluid cannot flow. The separateair vent 30 is provided toadmit air to the container. The vent 30 is disposedoutwardlyoftheopenings 32 and 50 so that the pressure of the fluid against theseopenings 32 and 50 predetermines their selection for the flow of fluid.When the air vent 30 is uncovered the vacuum created inthe container 46draws air in through thevent 30- and thereby permits the fluid to flowout through the openings 32, 50 and 34. The flow continues untilthefluid has reached the level indicated in Fig. 3, whenit closes theouter vent 31- thus preventing the entrance ofair into the container 46.At this point the container 46 and the-pouring'device are raised, thusallowing the coil-springs 26 and 38 to expand,- forcing the rod 33 andthe tube 22 to-their respective expanded positions shown in Fig. 2-. Inthis position the. inner 'vcnt '30-.is now covered by the extendedportion 14 of the inner cap element 12 thus preventing the entrance ofair through the longitudinal groove 28. The openings32 in the tube22 arelikewise covered by the inner surface of theextended portion 14. Theflutedvalve 35 closes opening 34 preventing any incidental flow whichmight occur through the opening 50in the retaining element 40.

The arm 51 of the counting mechanism 18Iis disposed between the flanges23 by virtue of the pin 52, so that the movement of the tube 22 causesthe arm 51 to rotate about the operating mechanism of the counter 18.The length of travel of the flanges 23 is such that the counter 18 isactuated each time that the tube 22 is forced downwards sufliciently farto uncover the inner vent-30 and the opening 32. In this manner thewithdrawal of fluid from the container-46 is permitted only when thecounter l8 has been actuated- Itwill be noted that" the pouring deviceillustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 issubstantially symmetrical'about thevertical axis coincident. with the rod 33 thereby permit- .ing the tube22 to rotateyin any manner at any time without affecting the operationof the pouring device. The fluid openings 32 and -the inner airvent 30are so 4 arranged about the circumference of the tube 22 that theiroperativenessis unaifected by the radial position of the tube 22. Thecircumferential flanges 23 likewise continue to carry the pin 52 ofthecounter arm 51 irrespective of any rotation of the tube 22. The outerair vent 31 is exposed regardless; of. the radial position of the tube22. By virtue of this symmetry the assembly of the pouring deviceisgreatly facilitated since the radial position of any of the working.parts is unimportant. Likewise, it is unnecessary to restrain the-tube.22 any fixed radial position during operation, thus providing an easierworking device.

The pouring device illustrated. in. the. drawingszis adjustable insofaras. the size of the fluid units is concerned; Since the size of thefluid unit depends upon the distance from. the outen tip off the rod 33to the outer air vent 31, apart from the diameter or width of thereceptacle 47, the size of the fluid unit for any given receptacle maybe increased by extending the-rod 33 outwardly. Thismay' beeasily' andaccurately accomplished by removing themed-33 from the tube 22* byunscrewing the retaining element- 66 and lowering the lock nut- 37-thereby permitting the gauge tube 36- to be lowered; and lowering thefluted valve 35 until it: meets the gauge tube 36. This maybe done untilthe desired length of rod- 33 extends from theouter end of the tube '22.The size of the fluid unit therefore'may be easily determined by'maintaining; the fluted valve 35 ina fixed position at all timeswithrespect to the outer-air vent 31 when the device is in operation asshown in Fig. 3. This is accomplished by means of the gauge tube 36'which separates the-lock nut- 37' abutting against the shoulder 53 whichis always in a fixed position with respect to the outer vent opening 31through the tube 221 The size of the fluid unit is increased by"lowering the locknut 37, the gauge tube 36 and thefluted valve 35 uponthe rod=33 until the mark 54 onthe fluted valve 35 is at thedesiredlevel; Since the mark 54-is always positioned atthe inner edgeof-the outenair vent 31 when the-device is in operation, the fluid unitwill always reach this height. A small allowance may he made forthefluid trapped in the outer end of the tube 22 upon closing the opening34.

Thepouring device'is attached-to the open-neck 45 of they container 46by means of the collar 55, and the washer 56. The closure member-is a:cylindrical cup shaped member of a relatively heavy, flexible material;The flexibility enables it to be attached to containers havingdifferentsize necks. At its upper endthe opening57; is-prov-ided which is of asize to tightly fit the inner extended element 14. When the collar 55 isin place, as illustrated: in Figs. 2 and 3, the washer 56, which may beof any materialresistant toattack' from the fluid to be dispensed and isring-shaped, is fitted within the collar 55 about the inner extendedelement 14; The inner circumference of the washer 56 is slightly.smaller: than the outer circumference of the inner extended element 14so thata torcedfit is necessary, ensuring a perfectgseal. The device isthen inserted inthe neck 45 .of the container 46 as shown inFig. 2. Forpurposes of security. a hole 57 may be provided in thecollar 55 throughwhich the cord 58 is looped. The extended portion of the-cord.58 may beaffixed to the container 46by means of .a. permanently attached tape 60.In this manner the device-may be sealed to the container 46 withoutvthepossibility of secret, unauthorized removal.

iIn normal use the device is aflixed to a bottle or container 46 asshownin Fig. 1; When a fluid unit-is: to be dispensed, the container 46is. inverted as shown; in Fig. 2. .By virtue of the openings 50 in theyokemember 42 it is theoretically possible that a certain amount offluid may enter the tube 22; Since there is no means for air toenter thecontainer other than through the same openings 50; ibisextremelyunlikely-that any fluid could be so emitted, and, if so; only undcrunusual cit? cumstances. In the event that any fluid does enter the tube22 it will be trapped'in the outer end of the tube 22 by means of thefluted valve 35. The container-46 is held over the receptacle 47 intowhich the fluid is to be poured and the container 46 is lowered as shownin Fig. 3. The rod 33 meets the bottom of the receptacle 47 and remainsstationary. The container 46 and the reinainder of the pouring devicecontinue to be lowered about the rod 33. Depending upon the respectivestrengths of the coil springs 26 and 38, either the valve 35 will openbefore the tube 22 rises in the outer and inner cap elements 11 and 12,or the tube 22 will be raised until the flanges 23 abut the shoulders 25whereupon the fluted .valve 35 will be raised to open the outer end ofthe tube 22. It has been. found preferable to make the spring 38substantially stronger than spring 26 to maintain the valve 35 closeduntil the fluid is to be emitted from the device. When the openings 32and the inner air vent 30 have passed beyond the inner extended element14 and the fluted valve 35 has been withdrawn from the opening 34 airwill be admitted to the container 46 through the outer air vent 31, therecessed groove 28 and the inner air vent 30, whereupon fluid will flowfrom the container 46 through the openings 32 and 50, the tube 22 andthe outer opening 34 into the receptacle 47. When the fluid reaches theheight illustrated in Fig. 3, closing the air vent 31, the flow of fluidwill cease since no air will be admitted to the container 46. During thestep of lowering the container 46 and the device toward the receptacle47, when the tube 22 slides inward with respect to the outer and innercap elements 1-1 and 12, the flanges 23 effect the rotation of thecounter arm 51 thereby registering uponthe dial face 17. When the fluidunit has been poured the container is removed, thereby extending thetube 22 by virtue of the expansion of the coil spring 26 and theextension of rod 33. The container 46 is returned to the position ofFig.

1 and any fluid which has been trapped in the tube 22 is permitted todrain back into the container 46 through the openings 50 in the yoke 42.The speed or eflectiveness of the evacuation of the tube 22 is, ofcourse, not important to the operation of the pouring device, and it isnot essential that the opening 50 be provided since in operation nofluid unit can rise beyond the outer air vent 31.

Employing the invention described above as embodied in the drawings itwill be possible to maintain an accurate check of the usage of fluid ina number of containers. The device is attached directly to the containerand it does not limit the moveability of the container. -It is not theobject of this invention to render it impossible to remove fluid from acontainer except in certain amounts and upon registering the amounts. Itwill be apparent that it is possible to remove varying amounts of fluidfrom the container simply by employing receptacles of difierentdiameters, but as normally employed the device will pour a fixed amountof fluid in a receptacle of fixed size and will register each time aunit is poured. This is of particular value to tap room owners, since byemploying shot-glasses of fixed dimensions a continuing and accurateinventory may be maintained of their liquid stock, including the amountsremaining in any partially filled containers. Where hundreds ofpartially filled bottles may be used it is quite important to be able torecord the exact quantity of fluid remaining in the bottles. It will benoted that equivalent means may be employed for various elements of theinvention without departing from the spirit thereof within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A fluid metering device comprising a housing having an extended fluidintake portion, an extended fluid discharge portion and a centralexpanded portion, a central co-axial channel formed inside said extendedportions, tubular fluid transmission means longitudinally slidable insaid channel having fluid intake ports, air admission means formed alongthe interior of said transmission means having an air vent laterallyparallel to said intake ports along their respective outer edges, saidintake ports and air vent being closed by said extended fluid intakeportion of said housing and openable upon the inward sliding of thetubular transmission means to permit the flow of fluid through saidtransmission means, a counter disposed'in the expanded portion of saidhousing and means for actuating said counter simultaneously with theopening of said air vent.

2. A device for metering the flow of fluid from a containercomprising ahousing, attachment means for maintaining said housing in sealedengagement with said container, counting means mounted in said housing,tubular fluid transmission means and air admission means integrallyattached to each other and slidably mounted in said housing, flangemeans located on the fluid transmission means and disposed within saidhousing operatively connected to said counting means, said housing beingadapted to close said fluid transmission means and air admission meanswhen they are in a position removed from said container and adapted toopen said means when they are in a position within said container, saidflange means being adapted to actuate said counting means when said airadmission means and fluid transmission means are open.

3. A fluid metering device comprising a housing, a

counter in. said housing, a hollow cylindrical tube slidably mounted insaid housing, a second tube fitted within said cylindrical tube formingan enclosed longitudinal channel therewith, said channel having openingsthrough said cylindrical tube near either end thereof, counter actuatingmeans affixed to said cylindrical tube operatively connected to thecounter and adapted to actuate said counter.

4. A fluid metering device comprising a housing, a cfluid transmittingtube slidably mounted in said housing having a plurality of fluid portsand an air vent, said housing and said tube being adapted to open saidfluid ports prior to opening said air vent thereby permitting the fluidto flow through said fluid ports, a solid rod slidably mounted in saidtube having a valve at one end adapted toclose said tube, a gauge tubesurrounding said rod adjacent said valve and a lock nut threadablyattached to said rod adjacent said gauge tube, said gauge tube being ofsuch length that a predetermined point on said valve is maintained at afixed distance from said lock nut.

5. A device for metering the flow of fluid from a container comprising ahollow tube containing fluid ports and an air vent, tubular means forclosing said ports and air vent surrounding that portion of said tube inwhich they are situated, resilient detent means urging said tube awayfrom said container thereby closing said ports and air vent, a valvedrod adapted to close the end of said tube distant from said containerand resilient detent means urging said rod away from said containerthereby closing said ports and air vent.

6. In a fluid metering device, fluid transmission and air admissionmeans comprising a first tube having a plurality of parallel fluidintake ports disposed about the inner end of said first tube and aninner air vent disposed outwardly with respect to said ports along saidfirst tube, an enclosed channel extended outwardly along said first tubeand communicating with said inner air vent, an outer air ventcommunicating with the outward end of said channel, a second tubedisposed about said first tube covering said ports and inner air ventwhen said first tube is extended outwardly and uncovering said ports andinner air vent when said first tube is slid inwardly.

7. In a fluid metering device, fluid transmission and air admissionmeans comprising an elongated hollow first tube having a plurality offluid ports and an inner air vent disposed therethrough near the innerend thereof, an outer air vent through said tube longitudinally spacedfrom said inner air vent and a valve seat at the outer ,7 endrof saidtube,-a:second tubeinserted in saidfirst tube in sealed surfaceengagement with said first tube .and forming anenclosed,channe'laconnecting said innenand outenair vents, a valvedsolid.rod.longitudinallydisposed through said tubes, movablevvalvemeansvnear the outer end ofv said rod adapted to engage said valveseat and yoke means inserted in the inner endof said tubes having anopening adapted to retain-the inner .end of said rod.

8. A metering device for dispensingJiiuid from .a .cont-ainer comprisinga housing havingpan intake portion-extending into said container, a tubeslidably mounted in said housing and extending .inione' direction beyondthe intakeport ion .of said housing into said container, separate airadmission means terminating atonezendfoutward of .said housing and atthe otheriendinside 'saidhonsing, a counter mounted in said housinghavingits face visible through said housing and a counteractuating armextending from said counter toapoint adjacentsaid tube, .a pair ofspaced cireumferentialiflanges on said tube.and.a pinrconnected tosaidactuating arm disposedbetween said flanges. 7

9. A metering device fordispensing fluid from.a-c0ntainerinto ,areceptacle comprising aehousing attached ,to said container,a'fluidtransmiss'iontube slidably mounted in saiilfhousing; a'valvedrodextending throughsaid tube and'beyondth'e endsthereof, an'inner air ventthrough said tube near'thejnner end thereof andan outer air vent throughsaid tnbe near theouter end thereof, a'ir admissionflmeans connectingsaid air vents'and slidable valve means rcovering .said intake ports andinner air vent adapted to uncover said air ports andair vent when thecontainer is lowered toward the receptacle.

References iCited'in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS720,562 Castle Feb. 17, .1903

9635638 :Newland 1July '5, 1910 1,287;lf4l Travis .Q. Dec. '10, 19182,206,053 Schroeder July "2, .1940 2,455,962 Wheeler et a1 Dec. 14, 19482,620,113 Bodendoerfer-etal. 'Dec.'.2, 1 952 2 ,631,755 Woodward Mar.17, 1 953

